davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15
KING COTTON.

The cotton crop now maturing in
the South promises to be the largest
ever raised in the United States. It
is thought that it may reach $500, 600
bales, which would be 500, 600 bales
in excess of any previous year. The
crop of 1885 was an enormous one,
reaching $500, 600 bales, but the lar
gest crop yet produced was that raised
in 1888 which was 6,992,234 bales.
The history of cotton raising in the
United States is an interesting me: In
1871, almost a full century ago, the
United States sent sixty-four bags of
cotton to England, and fifteen years
later the export had increased to 100,-
600 bags. But in that early day there
could have been no anticipation of the
large place that cotton was to fill in the
productions of the country. In 1929
the crop reached 86O,4l5 bales, and in
1888 it had grown to upwards of H.
O00, 600, below which it has never
since fallen, unless during the period
Of the civil war, of which there is no
record.
The largest crop raised by slave la
Dor was in 1860, when the production
was 1869, no bales. For five years
after the wal the crop ranged between
two and three million bales, getting
up to four millions in 1874, to five
millions in 1879, and to six millions in
1881. During the last ten years, un-
der free labor, the cotton yield has
been from a third to a half larger than
the biggest crop ever grown by slave
labor.
Great as the production now is, it
seems likely that it must reach even
larger figures in the future. There is
still much good cotton land in the
South that is not utilized, and much
that is farmed can be made to give a
heavier yield by better cultivation.
For several years past, money and
enterprise have been seeking invest
ment in cotton growing, and this ten
dency will continue as long as satisfac-
tory returns are obtained. At an
average of nine cents a pound, the
present years crop will be worth in
the neighborhood of $500, 900, O0O.-
american CuHtvotor.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15
GOOD SUGGESTIONS.

We hope the good crops of this
year may not any Of our farm
ers to neglect preparations for next
years crops. These should the more
encourage all to provide for larger
grass and clover crops. Our people
cannot raise too much grass. In the
raising, they are not only adding to
their money resources, but benefting
their land If a man got twelve
bushels of wheat per acre this year, by
early preparation and Judgment, he
ought to expect at least twelve bush
els per. acre next year. This is the
way to make farming pay in this
country. Do not try to cultivate more
land than you cultivated this year, but
try to SO cultivate the same quantity
as to get double the yield next year.
Early and thorough preparation and
good seeds we'll seeded, will go far to-
wards accomplishing this; Food
crops, to turn underin' the green state,
are invaluable Central Express.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15

: 81 re- =
which these representatives come,
they would find them turned out and
having, unless the pastures are very
short on. account of the Tdrouth, no
other feed than grass" They receive
just such treatment as any farmer who
has pasture land could give them
during the grazing season, and when
winter comes they require only such
shelter and care as ought to be given
common cattle. To be sure, they will
not thrive when neglected, exposed
to cold and storms, and fed scanty
r%ations, or required to depend on the
stalk fields for living through the
winter, but neither is there any profit
in raising common cattle in this way.
Well bred cattle will, when treated as
cattle should be, return a better profit
for the care and food given, as any
farmer can easily prove by securing a
few and giving them a trial. He will
never find a better time to demon
strate this than the present, when
good selections can be made at quite
moderate prices.-Aationol Lare Stock
Journal, ' -"
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15
FROM SEASHORE TO NOUN
TAINS.
Echoes From the Fields.

CThis column belongs to our correspondents. We
want at least one letter per week from every county
and news and items of. interest, I'6oaed dozen 81
No matter about the .styleaogive us the items: Write
6rseay and to the point. Give your po~stofice and
county. If you can do go, mail your letter on Sat
urdayJ
We propose to make this a perma-
nent feature in our paper. 1t can be
made most interesting and valuable to
u patrons. "But what shall I write
about 2" you ask. Why bless you /;
a thousand things. The condition of
crops, of stock, Of fruits anything
and everything pertaining to the farm
or to the farmers interests, social,
educational Or financial. This is to be
a NEWS column. If you haven't time
to write, get your son or daughter to
write. You will be surprised to find
how rapidly it will educate and de-
velop them. This paper is published
in the interest of progressive agricul-
ture it wants to hear less of political
wrangling and mor Of genuine ma
terial progress less of the dead issues
of the past and more of the living
issues Of the. immediate future. 1t
wants to see less demagoguery and
NOR patriotism less cringing de-
pendence among the farmers and more
manliness and independence; less show
and more merit less complaining and
more earnest work less muscle and
more brain and one Of the surest and
quickest ways to bring this about is
for the farmers and their BOYS and
girls to begin to think about it, talk
about it and write about it. Don't
wait for your neighbor to write first !;
that is not the way to begin but
when you have read this, sit down and
give an item to THE PROGRESSIVE
FARMER.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15
OFFICERS OF THE FARMERS
ALLIANCES OF N. C..

Wake Co. Alliance-J. D.. Allen, Presi-
dent, Raleigh; W. G. Crowder, Secretary;
Cary. 49,.
Banks Alliance-C. E. McCullers, Presi-
dent, R. N. Wynne, Secretary; Banks.
Pleasant Spring Alliance-G. j. Banks,
President, A. H. Adams, Secretary;
Raleigh. ..,.. 3:
Dutchman Alliance-Jas. NJ. Jones,
President, w. H. Strain, Secretary;
Raleigh, &c., ..,,tt
Apex Alliance-A. J. Thompson, Presi-
dent, J. T. Bowlin, Secretary; Apex.
Oak Ridge Alliance-M. w. Buffalo,
President, w. H. Rogers, Secretary
Raleigh.
Bay Leaf Alliance-J. D. Allen, Presi-
dent, R. L.. Thompson, Secretary; Falls.
Mount Pleasant Alliance-J. F. McDufie,
President, J. c. Moore, Secretary; Rogers
Store.
Reedy Creek Alliance-W.G. Crowder,
President, j. w. H. Adams, Secretary;
Cary.
Houses Creek AlIiance-W. G. Allen.
President, J. n. Hubbard, Secretary;
Raleigh.
Pleasant Grove Alliance-A. NJ. Thomp-
son, President, H. T. Smith, Secretary;
Raleigh.
Leesville Alliance-L. P. Sorrell, Presi-
dent, A. L: Virgins, Secretary; Kelvin
Grove. "
White Oak Alliance-B. W. Upchurch,
President, Gilbert Upchurch, Secretary
Morrisville. =
Swift Creek Alliances. Ohio Wilson,
President, W. C. Belts, Secretary; Vine
yard.
Garner Alliance. P. Goodwin, Presi-
dent, c.. A. Carroll, Secretary; Garner.
Auburn Alliance. S. Johns, Presi-
dent, S. NJ. Smith, Secretary; Auburn.
Avenue Alliance-H. H. Knight,
President, G. II. Smith, Secretary; Eagle
Rock.
Piney Grove Alliance-W. II. Hood,
President, Fl. V. Bunch, Secretary Shot
Wakefield Alliance-P. P. Pace, Presi-
dent. L. II. Averett. Secretary; Wake
field.
Mitchell's Mills Alliance-R. G. Mitchell,
President, J. T.. Wigs, Secretary; Harris
vile.
Roseville Alliance-J. w. Scarboro,
Roseville.
Rogers X Roads Alliance-R. c. Sten,
President, Robert Johnson, Secretary;
Temple.
Hickory Grove Alliance. D. Under
hill, President, ". w. Pace, Secretary;
Raleigh. T..
Farm Hill Alliance-F. NJ. Terrell,
President, w. O. Pace, Secretary;
Raleigh. ,t-r
Stony Creek Alliance-Josiah Broad
well, President, \. W. Upchurch, Secre-
tary Raleigh.
Stony Hill Alliance-T. n. Ray Presi-
dent, B. NJ. Harrison, Secretary. -, 20,
New Light Alliance-W. H. Lassiter
President, H. R. Chappell, Secretary.
Neuse Alliance. T. Hunter Presi-
dent, J. J. Dunn, Secretary.
Forestville Alliance-H. Y. Pace Presi-
dent, w: B. Smith, Secretary.
Little River Alliance-H. r. Horton
President, w. 4. Lies, Secretary.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15

business, Gas their books show for the
month just passed, was 40 per cent. over
the same month last year. Mr.. Norris is
now in New York, and if our friends and
especially the ladies, want to see a store
and a display Of goods, rivalling in beauty
and activity n of the bazaars of Broad
way, New York, let them come to their
Grand Opening on the 9th of this month.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15
CAN FARMERS AFFORD TO
RAISE PURE-BRED CATTLEaI

Those who attend the fairs will fire.
quently hear the remark made farm
ers, that they cannot afford to raise
pure-bred cattle, because they require
so much care and special feeding.
This conclusion is reached because
they see animals. fitted for the show
ring, excessively fat and wetfgroomed,
And yet, in the majority of cases, II
they would visit the herds from
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15

There were one hundred and thirty
three new oranges organized SO far
this year in the United States. II,
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15

: The old crop is nearly all sold. consequently
breaks are small. Prices are well sustained fora
The new crop is coming in. and owing to the
great demand for il, prices are very high.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15
MARKETS..

RALEIGH-Reported by T. B. Moseley, Manager
Stronach's Warehouse, Sept. Is, 1881.
Our market. though just on the close OF the
season, and in fact at its very dullest period, is nav
ing frequent offerings of the new crop. which in
quality well pleases the buyer and IN prices gives
perfect satisfaction to the farmer,
Sales today ~ NEW ran well up in the figures, seiE
ing at $50, So. $44ss. $500, $3.50, $3.50, $24;5o
Granville Tobacco. raised by Thos. Thomerson, and
averaged $44.33 per cwt.
Il DURHAM-Reported by j. S. Eockhart' Pro
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
Christmas and the Aged.

Make the Christmas q glad time for
the aged. Let each child, even the
baby, have its little tribute to bring.
Let the dear old heart know that its
own gift, however simple, is priced
and expected by every one of the
household band. Help the trembling
hands that may have grown slow to
fashion the dainty miracles of needle
work. Keep all the secrets of what
she is going to give to this, that, or the
other friend. Go patiently OIL the
shopping jaunts, even if the feet are
slow and the eyes take great deal o
time in searching for ''just the right
thing" Alas, for the day when
grandmother is no longer here to ''do''
for lis or to be "done" for! Let us re-
member how surely that day is COM
ing nearer, and that to make her thor
oughly happy and conscious of how
dear and necessary she is, is our only
way of beguiling the angel to lingel
in the home. AS the truest joy comes
ALWAYS from the consciousness of pow.
er to bless, so the more fully we can
convince the aged Of the blessing they
are to us, through their experience
and their presence, and through theil
angelhood, that has so often been born
in their sorrows, the more we shall
really minister to them. They are of.
ten afraid of becoming useless, coll
scious of failing powers, fearful of be,
ing in the way, or casting a shadow on
the household mirth. Sec to it, dear
young friends, that Oh this, Of all days
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21

To my mind, one of the painful
phases of the conflict in our country is
the attitude of Christian churches in
the two sections toward each other.
In the great revival of 1857, the light
ming fingers of the telegraph, now
busy with the plans and doings of war,
transmitted intelligence of MONDAY
prayer-meetings in the various towns
and villages Of the Union; and of the
conversion of tens of thousands among
all classes of the people. Now thous-
ands of those converts, fresh from the
affecting memorials of the sacrament
table, are marching toward each other,
not to the music of that hymn sung by
their Savior and his disciples on the
Mount of Olives; but to the sound OF
the fife and drum, with fixed bayonets,
to the work CT mutual slaughter. And
the churches to which they belong are
cheering them on, and praying for
their triumph. How sad and sadden'
ing is all this! Is Christ divided? Are
his teachings, his Spirit, and his life
susceptible Of such antagonisms as
these? Until those who profess to be
actuated by the Spirit, and live by the
rules of Christian faith, shall be en-,
lightened to see that it excludes them
from all participation in war, we shall
see, when the trial comes, just such q
scene as the country now presents.
ElMu BuriU.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
Poison'S Formed from Food.

The subject of "Poisons Formed
from Food, and their Relation to Bill
business and DigrhGa,n has been con-
sidered by DR.. II. Lander Brunton in
articles in the Practitioner. There are
persons, he says, or even, perhaps,
"classes of people, to whom even az
ticles of food, usually salutary, are poi
sonous. Many articles of food, also,
have Il property of splitting them
selves up so as to yield poisons. The
melon and cucumber tribe of vegeta-
bles exhibit tendency to the forma-
ton of purgative substances. In ami
NAL foods poisonous properties are apt
to appear either from particular modes
of cooking or from beginning decom-
position. The decomposition may be
effected by microbic organisms, or by
the digestive ferments of the healthy
body; and they are various according
to the peculiar organism or fcrment
that sets them up, and according to
the temperature at which they occur,
and the length of time that they con-
tinue. Some of the products of de-
composition are poisonous in various
degrees of activity, while others are
innocuous.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21

have studied the subject Of Peace
and War for twenty-five years, with a
good deal of care. The individual
among us, be he minister or layman.
who can talk to us gravely about the
lawfulness of resisting violence by vi
olence, has in him the spirit of war
and as far as thisspirit prevails in him,
has not the spirit of Christ. Has such
a man studied Christ? The great mis-
fortune is, that we are trained to war
from the very first dawn of infancy to
the close of life; for life itself I regard
as a mere school of education. The
whole spirit of our education is war
spirit; of course I will not say that
this training to war is by design. l
say such is the fact.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
Giving the Best.

Let US not be content with serving
the Lord q little, with giving him the
odds and ends of life; the cold crumbs
and broken fragments, as it were, that
fall from life's table. Thousands of
people are perfectly willing to be
Christians il their discipleship will
not interfere in the slightest degree
with anything else that they wish to
be or do. In fact, their sole purpose
seems to be to solve the problem, how
to grasp the world with one hand and
TO keep hold of heaven with the other.
They do not seem to care for any stars
in their crown, for any sheaves in
their garner. "a starless crown, and
d third rate harp in heaven" seem to
say, lis good enough for me, if I cali
only keep from getting shut out for
ever" Such service is little better
than no service. In fact, we are not
sure that it is considered as service at
all. If we read our Lords life correct
ly, he would not have allowed such
people to count themselves among his
disciples. If there was one thing
about which he was emphatic, it was
that if any one should be his disciple
he must take up his cross. What sub
lime courage it took for friendless
young man, as he appeared TO be, to
turn away the rich young ruler from
his standard, when his cause seemed
to be in such desperate need Of influ-
ence and wealth, simply because he
lacked one thing, because he would not
give up all for Christ! His demands
arejust as imperative now. He asks
our all and our best or nothing. He
never makes compromise with any
soul, and that soul dreadfully deludes
itself that thinks it can make COM
promise with Christ, and give him
anything less than all it is or hopes to
be.-Goldc,a Rule.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
The Cost of a Lead Pencil.

"What does it cost to make lead
pencil?" queried q reporter of the
New York Sun. First let me tell you
how we make pencil" said the man-
ufacturer. "See this fine black pow
der? That's graphite. 1t costs TWEEN
ty-five cents a pound. This white
substance is German clay. 1t comes
across the ocean as ballast in sailing
vessels, and all it costs US is freight.
We mix this clay and this powder to,
gether and grind them in a mill, al
lowing moisture to be added during
the process, until the Two are thor.
oughly assimilated and are reduced Il
paste about the consistency of putty
"This paste we press into these dies,
each one of which is the size of pen
ell lead, except in length. There are
four leads in one of these. After they
are pressed we cut them into the pro-
per length, and bake them in an oven
kept at very high heat. There we
have the lead made. Its hardness is
regulated by the greater or less amour
of clay we mix with the graphite-the
more clay we put in, the harder the
lead.
"The cedar we use comes principally
from the swamps of Florida, and is
obtained entirely from the fallen trees
that lie there. The wood is delivered
to us in blocks sawed to pencil lengths,
some thick, to receive the lead, and
others thin, for the piece that is glued
over the lead. The blocks are sawed
for four pencils each. They are groov-
ed by a saw, the groove being the
place where the lead is to lie.
1.-The leads are kept in hot glue, and
are placed in the grooves as the blocks
are ready. When this is done, the
thin block is glued fast to the thick
one. When dry, the blocks are run
through machine that cuts the pen
ellis apart. Then they are run through
machine that shapes and Furnishes
them and they are ready to be tied in
punches, boxed, and put out.
"The different grades in value are
made by finer manipulation of the
graphite. Here is a pencil that is
about the average quality used in
everyday business. 1t costs u little
more than one quarter of cent to get
it ready for market. We sell it to
dealers at one hundred per cent profit,
and the dealer makes much more than
that. OF this grade All operator and
the machinery will easily make $500 a
day."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
The Infant Saviour.

What a contrast! A Child in the
manger, yet bearing the salvation OF
the world Child hated and feared
yet longed for and loved; Child poor
and despised, yet honored and adored
beset by danger. yet marvelously pre-
served; a Child setting the stars in
heaven, the city Of Jerusalem, the
shepherds of India, and the sages oil
the East in motion; attracting the
best elements of the world, and repel-
ling the evil! This contrast, bringing
together the most opposite, yet not
contradictory, things, is too deep, too
sublime, too significant, to be the in
vention of few fishermen.
Yet, with all these marks of divini-
ty upon Him, the Infant Saviour is
not represented, either by Matthew or
Luke, as an unnatural prodigy, antici-
pating the maturity of later age, but
as a truly human child, silently lying
and smiling on the bosom of His vr-
gin mother; growing" and "waXing
strong in spirit" and therefore subject
to the law of regular development, yet
differing from all other children by
His supernatural conception and per-
feet freedom from hereditary sin and
guilt. He appears in the celestial
beauty of unspotted innocence, veri-
table flower of paradise. He was
that Holy Thing" according to the
announcement of the angel Gabriel,
admired and loved by all who ap.
preached Him in o child-like spirit,
but exciting the dark suspicion of the
tyrant king who represented His fu-
ture enemies and prosecutors. Who
can measure the ennobling, purifying
and cheering influence which proceeds
from the contem platiop of the Christ
child at each returning Christmas sea-
son, upon the hearts of young and old
in every land and nation. The loss Of
the first estate is richly compensated
by the undying innocence of paradis
regained.-Rcv. Philip SchCB, d. ID.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21

II might be difficult to show salts
factorily whether the world as a whole
is growing better or worse. But we
think every candid observer must a.
low that evil is becoming more intense
in form, and boider in manifestation
Does it follow that the disciples OF
Christ should withdraw themselves
from all that is going OH around them,
and seek only to preserve their own
souls alive? We judge not. "Ye are
the salt of the earth," said the Master,
in an age when social vice and wrong
doing were probably far more rampant
than they are to-day. 1t is the pres
ence of the corrupting element that
makes the salt so necessary. The
greater the evil, the more need for the
counteracting forces of good. Our
Lords request to the Father for his
faithful followers was II pray not
that Thou shouldst take them out of
the world, but that Thou shouldst
keep them from the evil" In the
strength of these words, let our testi-
mony be unhinching, while we al
ways remember to "speak the truth in
love. ."-he Christian.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21

There is some extravaganza in the
modern assumption that a great deal
more is going to be known about Jesus
Christ than ever has been known. We
are carried away by the fact of conlin-
ual new discoveries in science, and inn
agine that We must match lhe scen-
tific folk by continual fresh discoveries
in religion. We blind our: elves to the
very important fact that minus have
no limit within the apprehension of
the entire mystery of this created
world, and so they can be always get
ting new stores; but morals and reli-
gion are matters Of divine revelation,
and are the same for every age. We
flatter our own pride by the delightful
notion that We see Christ as none of
our fathers ever saw Him; but the
honest truth is that we don't try to
find out all our fathers saw in Him,
and our pride is but based upon our ig-
norance. The modern tendency to
cry, ave are WISE" awe are the peo-
ple," needs to be we'll priclled with a
point of.satire, for verify it is but a
conceited bubble.
The Sunday-SchooI Chronicle.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
SelfshneSS.

1t is selfishness more than anything
else that is hindering spirituality.
Selfishness is the worm at the root.
Reckless disregard OF the rights OF
others, the malicious that is ever SO
ready to retard another to promote
self, blind self-seeking, envy and evil
speaking, these are the vices, often re-
proved in the Word of God, that we
are so slow TO check, and which are Sc
sure to prevent spiritual growth. The
fewer number are struggling to fight
these corrupting dispositions out OF
their hearts Some are striving with
all their might to overcome, and grow
ing themselves, they are reaching out
strong arms and are trying hard to lift
up their weaker fellows. The unset
fish love of those who have learned
Christ is binding up the wounds OF
malice and bringing back to the world
of brightness and blessedness that sim
ful selfshness has SO long banished.
Spiritual growth is advancing only so
fast as the sinful lusts of the flesh are
in the fire of fervcnt love
for Christ and those for whom Christ
died. The indulgence of any disposi-
ton that hurts others cannot fail to
r.t,rT1 Our own rrOWth